LAFOURCHE PARISH, La. — Two Southeast Louisiana families are grieving after their children were killed in a car accident. According to state police, the driver who hit them was underage and had a blood alcohol reading of nearly seven times the legal limit.
Devin Deen is facing a tragic reality no parent should ever have to endure, she's now planning her own child's funeral. 18-year-old Taliyah Crochet was her daughter.
Deen said, "It's just so hard, these kids work so hard, so hard for 18-year-olds, they had such old souls... And now it's all just gone, and I am having such a hard time grasping the fact that like it's really just over. Like, they're gone."
She went on to say, "I woke up this morning just infuriated, if my anger could've blown up this world it would've, because I was so angry, I just kept screaming."
"I heard a hard knocking on the door... They had three state troopers and immediately they said I am looking for the parents of Taliyah Crochet... and girl I didn't even know what to do, my boyfriend opened the door, and I was like they're saying Taliyah is dead."
Louisiana State Police say 18-year-old Axel Flores-Cordova was driving south on Highway 3090 around 1 a.m. Sunday morning. Police say his car crossed the center lane and collided head-on with another car. Inside the other car were Taliyah and her boyfriend, 18-year-old Rylan Oncale. There were two other people in the backseat. They're both listed as stable in the hospital.
LSP Sgt. Ross Brennan says Flores-Cordova was nearly seven times the legal limit, he said, "Louisiana the under-age driving limit is .02 for alcohol, of course in adults .08, the reason why it's so low is a young person they're lacking the experience behind the wheels, they're already susceptible to being involved in crash, couple that with the effects of alcohol and drug impairment, chances of getting involved in a serious crash significantly rise."
Deen says Taliyah and Rylan had big plans, saying, "Save up enough money, for her and Rylan, they wanted to move, they didn't want to be here, I think that's one of the hardest things for me too, is knowing now they will never leave here."
This mother now faces the unimaginable, burying her child and coming to terms with the fact that her child will never come home.
Flores-Cordova didn't have a license and was not wearing a seatbelt. He also wasn't injured. He was booked on two counts of vehicular homicide and several other charges.
Flores-Cordova is from Honduras and is also being held by Immigration and Naturalization Service.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.